Mechanical train signal



. Dec.3, 1929. R. E. BARRETT 7 1,738,278

MECHANI CAL TRAIN S IGNAL Filed June- 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I NVEN TOR.

M41? m M/4% AA TTORNEY.

Dec. 3, 1929. R. E. BARRETT. ,7

' I MECHANICAL TRAIN SIGNAL Filed June 4, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PatentedDec. 3, 1929 [RICHARD E. .Bannnr'r, or noYKrns, mama MECHANICAL TRAINSIGNAL Application filed June 4,

This invention relates to an improvement in mechanical train signals.

T-heobject of the invention is to provide a signal which will beautomaticallyactuated ,5 by a train to turn a signal at 'a gradecrosslng, in order to indicate to persons who maybe crossing therailroad tracks at that point of the approach of the train. The signalis actuated automatically by the train upon its 10 approach to the gradecrossing and, again, when it reaches the crossing it automaticallyreturnsithe'signal toits normal non-signaling position.

The invention lies-in thestructure and the 1.5 mechanical features foraccomplishing these obiects.

In the accompanying drawings: Fig.1 "is a top plan View of the inventionas applied;

F 1g. '2 is a side elevation ofa portion of the same;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view through the frame work; and

Fig. 4 is a perspectiveview of the main M5 lever detached.

The main tracks are designated generally by the numeral 1 and aremounted upon the cross-ties 2 and a road is designated by the numeral 3,as crossing the tracks 1 at the same and 6 extendupwardly from and aresupported 'by the cross-ties 2 and are connected together at their upperends by a connecting strip 7. A stop signal 8has a shaft 9 extendingbetween and carried by the vertical supports 4 and .5, and a plate 10extends upwardly from the signa'lxS in position to strike a bell 11mounted upon the top connecting member 7 to indicate to anyoneattempting to cross the tracks at this point that the signal is turningand that a the tracks. t

The signal plate 10 also indicates to the locomotive engineer that thesignal has been tarned properly and this plate may be colored suitablyfor this purpose.

The ;outer end of the shaft 9 terminates in a crank' rm 12, to which alink 13 is connected b 7 means of a "lostinotion slot 14, as shown inBig; 3, the opposite end of said link 13.

did

level as the latter. Vertical supports 4, 5

train is approaching upon 192?. serial at. 196,514.

being pivotally connected as at 15 to the disk 16 rotatably mounted upona pin 17 carried by the vertical support 5. This disk 16 is providedwith a notch 18 in the outer surface thereof in position to be engagedby a pawl 1'9, pivoted as at 20, to the support 5 and having its outerfree end connected by a link 21to an end of the lever 22. A spring 23 isalso connected with the lever 22 for normally tending to hold this leverin the position shown in Fig. 3, as extending upwardly with the pawl 19in position to engage the notch 18.

A pin 24 on the disk 16 extends into a slot 25 formed in a link 26, thefree end of which is connected by a rope or cord 27, which passes over apulley 28 in the vertical support 6 and around a pulley 29 mounted upona plate 30 having its end connected with a lever 31 also pivotallymounted upon the plate 30. The opposite ends of this lever 31 areconnected by cables 32 with the opposite ends of a main lever 33, thecables extending between guide rollers 34, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.Springs 35 are interposed between the ends of the cables 32 and the mainlever 33 to provide a resilient connection between these parts. The mainlever 33 is held in the position shown in Fig. 1 by a spring 36.

A plate spring 37 has one end thereof connected with an end of the mainlever 33 and the free end of this spring extends between the arms 38 ofthe handle 39 pivoted to the main lever 33 as at 40. This spring 37normally holds the handle 39 in the position shown in Fig. l, but allowsmovement of the handle relative to the main lever 33. Arms 41 arecarried by the opposite sides of the locomotive {12 or other part of thetrain in position to engage and operate the handle 39.

In the operation of the invention, the arms 41 engage the handle 39 formoving the handle and the lever 33in the direction of the arrow in Fig.l, to exert a pull on the rope or .cord 27 which, through the link 26and pin 2a, turns the disk 16 into the position shown in Fig. 3, whichtransmits movement through the link 13, the cranlearm 12 and the shaft 9to the signal 8 and turns this signal into the position shown in Figs. 2and 3.

This is all accomplished mechanically and automatically upon the arms 41carried by the locomotive 42, striking the handle 39. As the locomotivetravels toward the grade crossing or the road 3, these arms 41 engagethe handle 22 and turn this handle, which turning movement pulls thefree end of the pawl 19 downward, as shown in Fig. 3, releasing the'disk 16 and likewise the pulling action upon the signal, which causesthe weight of the plate 10 to turn the signal up iBnto thenon-signalling position shown in ig. 1. c

In the event that the train runs in the 0pposite direction along thetrack, the resilient mounting of the handle 39 allows a movement of thishandle relative -to the lever 33, so that the handle will be movedrelative thereto by the arm 41. I

vThe main control lever 33 will preferably be mounted approximatelythree hundred yards "from the road 3 so as to turn the signalsufiiciently in advance of the approach of the train to the gradecrossing, so as to allow persons, who are contemplating crossing thetracks ortraveling along the road, an opportunity to stop and toindicate to them that the'train is approaching.

Thus it will beev-ident that a mechanical train signal is provided of animproved construction,.which is automatic 'in operation and likewise inreleaseand'to cause an automatic signal of the approach of an oncomingtrain at a grade crossing, thus eliminating a great many accidents whichoccur at such po nts.

' A signal maybeprovided on each side of the track to be operated bytrains going in either direction.

1. A signal of the character described ineluding a movable, visiblesignal, a disk operatively connected with said signal, a main controllever operatively'connected with said disk for movingthe signal intosignalling position, a handle carried by the main control lever inposition to be engaged by an arm on a locomotivefor actuating the lever,resilient means for holding said handle in normal position, and asecondary lever operatively connefeted withthe disk and extendin intoposi- T tion-to be actuated by the armon he locomotive. for releasingthe signal.

2. In atdevice ofthe character described, the combination 'of asupporting frame, a shaft carried thereby, a visible signal mounted onthe'shaft normally held in non-signalling. position, a disk-.operativelyconnected with the shaft for moving said signal into signalling,position, f,a. main control lever mounted in spaced apart relation from.the

* disk and signal, flexible means connecting the main. controlleverwiththe disk for actuating the same, ah'andlefpivotally connectedwith' thefmain control leverand extending into position to be'engaged byan arm carried by a train for causing an actuation of the main controllever, a spring for resiliently holding the handle in its normalposition relative to the lever, a pawl connected with the disk forengaging and holding the same in signalling position, and a secondarylever operatively connected with the pawl for releasing the disk toallow the signal to return to non-signalling position.

3. A device of the character described including a supporting frame, ashaft carried thereby, a visible signal carried by the shaft in positionto be normally held in non-signalling position by its own Weight, anaudible signal mounted upon the frame in position to be actuated by thevisible signal, the free end of the shaft terminating in a crank-arm, a

disk carried by the frame, a link pivoted to the disk having a lostmot-ion connection with the crank-arm of the shaft, 21 second linkhaving a lost motion connection with the disk, a flexible rope connectedwith the free end of the said last-mentioned link and passing aroundguide pulleys, a lever connected with the free end of said rope, a maincontrol lever pivotally mounted at a point spaced apart from thefirst-mentioned lever,'cables connecting said levers together, guiderollers for the cables, a handle pivotally connected with the maincontrol lever and extending into position to be engaged by an armcarried by atrain, a leaf-spring having an end thereof fixed to the maincontrol lever and having the opposite free end thereof engaging thehandle for resiliently holding the handle in its normal positionrelative to the lever, the operating disk having a notch formed in theedge thereof, a pawl pivotally mounted on the frame in position toengage the notch and hold the disk in signalling position, and asecondary control'lever having an end there of operatively connectedwith the free endof the pawl and extending into position to be. engagedby the arm of the train to actuate the pawl to release the disk andsignal.

4. A signal of the character described including a supporting frame, ashaft carried by the frame, a signal element mounted on the shaft andsuspended therefrom, a plate extending outwardly approximately at rightangles to the face thereof from said signal element and forming anadditional signal adapted to be moved into signalling position with themovement of the first signal into signalling position and means I01operating the-shaft for moving the signal element into and out ofsignalling position.

5. A signal of the character described including a signal member, anoperating disk therefor, a lost-motion connection between the disk andsignal member, an actuating lever for the disk, and a lost-motion connection between the actuating lever and disk 6. A signal of the characterdescribed including a signal member, a shaft support-

